The New York Yankees starting rotation will be at full strength for the first time all year, and it comes at a perfect time. New York’s offense has struggled as of late, so their pitching has been the only part of the club keeping them afloat, and reinforcing that group is significant.
The missing piece for New York since late June has been left-hander Carlos Rodon. The 33-year-old veteran has been sidelined since then due to left elbow inflammation.
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His season debut was also delayed until May, meaning he has made just nine total starts this year, posting a 3.30 ERA with 52 strikeouts. Fortunately, he is set to reach the double-digit mark on Tuesday. “LHP Carlos Rodon will start tomorrow for the Yankees,” wrote Yankees clubhouse reporter Meredith Marakovits on X.
With Rodon returning, the Yankees now have a significant decision to make on who becomes a potential Game 4 starter in a playoff series.
New York will almost certainly hand the ball to Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler and Max Fried for the first three games of any series, but for a potential fourth game the conversation now becomes whether the nod goes to Rodon or left-hander Ryan Weathers, who has made quite the case for himself.
Rodon has the clear track record advantage over Weathers as a three-time All-Star with experience pitching for the Yankees in October multiple times.
However, Weathers has been nearly unhittable as of late, posting a minuscule 1.98 ERA across six starts since the All-Star break while remaining healthy all season long.
The decision will likely come down to Rodon’s performance over the next six weeks. With the Yankees trailing the Tampa Bay Rays by a wide margin for first place in the American League East, they will also likely have to advance past the wild card round before the decision becomes relevant. But it is definitely something worth monitoring with Rodon now back in the mix.
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